+ I am a beginner / I have never meditated before. Is this right for me?

Yes, absolutely! The technique requires no prior meditation experience, and provides benefits immediately. It's the easiest entry-point to meditation, as it provides a great basis for expanded awareness.

The technique requires no concentration, control or focus. It places emphasis on being effortless. It naturally triggers the relaxation response, which allows us to move into deeper states of rest and recover from deeply-rooted stress and fatigue that’s in our system.

Even people who have the busiest minds and who might think learning to meditate is impossible can learn in three sessions.

Watch the free introductory webclass above and ask me any questions you like.

+ What is the investment?

The coaching fee for the 3-day immersion in a group setting is US$2222, which is a flat fee covering between 3 and 7 people. If you gather six friends and split the investment, your personal cost is only US$317. Private tuition is US$499.

+ What should I wear?

You can wear whatever you’d like to meditate. I recommend something you’re comfortable in.

+ Where is the course held?

I’ve taught people all over the world - in London, New York, Melbourne, Sydney and online.

+ Do I need any special equipment?

You don’t need any special equipment. Just yourself, a pen and notebook or some paper. For online coaching, Zoom is free to use.

+ Will other people be able to see me meditating on Zoom?

Everyone will have their eyes closed! I ask that you keep your camera on at all times during each session as it helps me to guide you both during and after the group meditations.

+ I already have a meditation practice, what is the benefit of working with you?

If you haven’t learnt the Being technique before, I highly recommend learning it. The technique is unique in that once you’re established in this technique, other styles of meditation can be easier to practice, and more gratifying.

+ Will meditation reduce stress?

Stress is the response to stimulation and demands that are placed on us. It's important to note that stress operates on a spectrum, low to high, healthy to unhealthy. There is a sweet spot where we are able to function optimally and respond to demands, deadlines and responsibilities in our life. It's when we move beyond that sweet spot that we become fatigued, our capabilities and resources are diminished, and we enter a state of distress.

In this state we become reactive to life, instead of responsive to it. In response to acute stress, your body activates the sympathetic nervous system by the sudden release of stress hormones and neurotransmitters. Essentially this puts your body into fight or flight. When we're in fight or flight, the part of our brain that is responsible for maintaining high levels of self awareness is shut down, and instead we operate from a fear centre.

Meditation can increase your resilience to stress. Meditation when done on a regular basis can enhance our natural ability to switch off the sympathetic nervous system and trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your relaxation response. When we train our mind and our body to rapidly recover from a stress response, in time the brain actually learns how to stabilize the nervous system in everyday life. It doesn't have to switch into fight or flight when it's faced with challenges or demands.

Put another more simple way, the time that you spend with your eyes closed in meditation can dramatically improve the way you respond in everyday life with your eyes open. The relaxation response is what triggers rest and recovery. It enables us to recover from fatigue, release stress, and can have a positive impact on our brain, our immune system and our emotional wellbeing.

The technique that I teach in my three day course facilitates this deep rest and recovery, while also expanding our awareness. It allows us to release stress, so that we're able to recognize and respond to life's demands more gracefully rather than reactively.

Watch the free introductory webclass and ask me any questions you like.

+ Will meditation improve my health?

Obviously I’m not a doctor and if you have a health condition, you should consult a professional.

That said, the research on the positive effects of meditation in a health context is really compelling. Meditation can reduce heart rate and blood pressure. It can cause muscle relaxation. It can boost the immune system and reduce cortisol production. (Cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that makes us feel anxious and unsettled.)

It’s believed meditation can also increase the size of your brain, believe it or not. This means it can boost your memory, attention, self-awareness and ability to self control. All of those benefits from something that is so easy!

+ How often should I meditate?

Once you learn it, this technique can be practised once or twice a day for 20 minutes. You can meditate anywhere!

That may sound a lot to you now - it did to me at first. The lesson for me is that meditating is like an investment. Meditating twice a day for 15 - 20 minutes - it’s 3% of my day. But the impact on the 97% of my day is extraordinary. It’s a little bit like going to the gym - you build up coping muscles, you feel stronger and you have more energy.

+ I’m a professional thinker, will emptying my mind ruin my brilliance?

Haha, as a marketing and advertising strategist this definitely crossed my mind when I first considered meditation! Wasn’t my busy mind necessary for my creative genius?

As a thinker, the thought of emptying my mind of thoughts felt impossible. It wasn't until 2010 when I was running my first business and feeling the effects of burnout and anxiety and stress, that I really turned to meditation.

You’ll be pleased to learn that I didn’t lose my creativity. I found I would get unbelievably dialed-in ideas that I probably would never have thought of outside of meditation. It unlocked a steady stream of creativity for me. I highly recommend it for creatives and all thinkers.

+ How is the 1 Giant Mind being meditation technique different from Vedic meditation?

Both are eyes-closed practices that use a silent mantra, thought effortlessly in the mind. You sit comfortably and allow the mind to naturally settle, without striving, focusing or trying to control your thoughts. Both practices trigger the body’s natural relaxation response, allowing the mind and body to restore from the impacts of stress. Both practices are usually taught in-person, in a step-by-step format that allows instruction to be tailored to the experience you’re having.

Vedic Meditation is an ancient practice taught privately or in small, intimate groups over four sessions of about 90-minutes, once a day for four consecutive days. For the first session, your teacher will usually assign you a personalized mantra that is resonant with your consciousness. This mantra will allow for a deeper, more effortless experience, and there are many stages of advancement in knowledge and experience once you have learned the technique.

I teach the 1 Giant Mind Being meditation technique, which is based on the ancient Vedic practice, but taught in a modern way, specifically designed to be more broadly accessible. The course is taught over three 90-120 minute sessions, once a day for three consecutive days. I assign a universal mantra to the class as a group, and then instruct you, step-by-step in how to use it most effectively.